Hanoi- A bus accident that killed four people in Hanoi brought a bloody end to a four-day holiday weekend that saw traffic fatalities rise by more than one third over the normal rate, a police official said Tuesday.

A total of 163 people were killed in 160 traffic accidents from Thursday to Sunday according to Do Dinh Nghi, director of Vietnam's national Traffic Police Department. On normal days, between 20 and 30 people are killed in traffic accidents in Vietnam.

"This rate was higher than on normal days because the number of vehicles on the roads increased sharply," Nghi said.

Vietnam celebrated a four-day weekend beginning April 30, the anniversary of the reunification of the former North and South Vietnam in 1975, followed by the international labour holiday on May 1. People on family and company outings travelled to beaches or their home villages on Vietnam's inadequate roads and highways.

The bus accident took place early Monday when an intercity bus carrying 24 passengers rear-ended a truck, killing four and seriously injuring 20 others.

The Communist Party newspaper Nhan Dan (The People) quoted police sources as saying the bus had been travelling too fast and the driver lost control.

Vietnam's rate of traffic fatalities is among the highest in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

Vietnam reported 11,318 people killed by traffic accidents in 2008, down from 12,857 the year before. A mandatory helmet law for motorbike riders introduced at the end of
2007 is believed to have contributed to the reduced fatalities.(dpa)